Never Really Ended
by how-i-met-my-otp
Summary: Finale-based fic, but I promise it won't be sad. Kind of an AU that makes everything okay. It's rated M because of some very brief smut (Chapter two).
1. Chapter 1

The year was 2016. Robin paced back and forth in her hotel room, conflicted. The phone had rung with the offer of a lifetime, but what was asked for in return was more than she was willing to gamble. She found herself reviewing the phone conversation she had, over and over, rather uselessly. It wasn't as if there was some missed detail that could make any difference. She had to make a choice, and her options were all too clear.

"He's my husband." She had tried to explain, fighting to keep the desperation from reaching her voice.

"I understand, but he's also a liability. It's risky enough to trust anyone, let alone an ex-criminal." Nick's voice was firm on the other end. It was clear that what he was saying was not up for discussion.

And so Robin sighed, knowing the argument was useless. There was no way Fury would even consider letting her onto the mission whilst she was married to the infamous, former Dr. Horrible.

"I'll give it some thought." She had said, hanging up the phone and leaning against the wall.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Barney, whose usual smile vanished as soon as he noticed his wife's pacing. "What is going on?" He asked, confused.

"I got a job offer." She replied, with what he thought to be an odd lack of enthusiasm. "It'd be on top of my work with World Wide News."

"That's awesome!" He grinned, "So, what's the problem?"

Robin took a shaky breath, answering him slowly and cautiously. "If I took the job, we would um, we'd have to get a divorce."

"You're divorcing me?" He raised his voice.

"No." Robin said quickly, "I mean, I don't think so. I don't think I'm going to take the job. And even if I did it would only be on paper." She explained, knowing she'd feel guilty either way. Barney had been unconditionally supportive of her career. He had dropped everything in order to travel with her without any hesitation. He had always put their marriage, being with her, above anything else, and she hated that she had reached a point where she couldn't do the same.

After a moment he considered what she had said, sitting down. "Robin, if taking this job is what you want to do, I don't want to be the one to stop you."

"What are you saying?"

"I think you should take it." It hurt him to say. He didn't want to get a divorce, it was difficult enough to spend even a day apart from her. But more than he wanted to be with her, he wanted her to be happy, even if it wasn't because of him.

Robin was surprised he was so willing. She'd expected him to despise her for this, as he had already given so much. "Are you sure about this?"

Barney nodded. "You're career is important to you, and that means it's important to me too. I love you too much to turn into the guy who holds you back from doing what you really want."

I love you so much." She smiled, leaning down to kiss him. "I just don't want to lose you over this." Her voice trembled in the way it always did when she admitted to her emotions.

Barney reached for her hands, "You're not going to lose me, Robin. Married or not, I'm always going to be in love with you. And when it's all over, I'm still going to be here." He knelt down after a moment, struggling to keep a straight face. "Robin Scherbatksy, will you unmarry me?"

She smiled, shaking her head, "You're an idiot."

"Is that a 'yes'"? He stood expectantly.

"Yes."

…

"So, this is goodbye?" Barney had forgotten that today was the day. A part of him wished Marshall had been there to slap him for not remembering. He had wanted–needed-to prepare for this goodbye, even though he knew it wouldn't last.

"Yeah," she forced a smile, despite how useless it was to fake anything with him. He saw right through her. "I guess it is."

"For now." He reassured himself for the millionth time.

"For now." Robin repeated. She took a step forward to kiss him, passionately pressing his lips against his, unsure of how long it would be before she had another chance to.

As genuinely okay with the situation he'd been, Barney hated to know how much he'd soon be missing her. He wanted her to be happy, whether or not she was him, but was sickened at the idea of spending even a single day without her. He pulled her in a little bit closer, one hand behind her neck and the other resting on the small of her back.

After a minute or so, she reluctantly pulled away. Both knew that if things became the slightest bit more heated she may never be able to leave.

"Look, um, I just want to say, since we're no longer technically married, it'd be fine if you wanted to sleep with other women." It pained Robin to say, but she felt guilty enough divorcing him for a job, especially one he knew nothing about. It seemed unfair to ask any more of him.

"Robin," he laughed, "I don't give a damn if we're married or not. I don't want anyone else."

She thought it seemed like a weird thing for him to say, even after years of marriage. Sometimes she forgot he had grown out of his womanizing ways. No matter how much time seemed to pass, the being-in-a-relationship thing still felt so new to the both of them. "For real?" She asked, "I mean it'd be totally okay if-"

He cut her off. "For real. I wouldn't even dream of it." Barney assured her with absolute honesty. He didn't miss the cheap hook-ups, the one night stands, the bimbos or the games, it all seemed so trivial now that he had her.

She smiled, "I love you." Even now, the words felt foreign as they escaped her lips, but they were too true to be left unsaid.

He kissed her and repeated her words back to her. "I'll call you, okay?" he added. "If that's even allowed at wherever this secret ninja porno place is."

"Of course it's allowed. And I didn't say anything about a ninja porno?" She responded, simultaneously annoyed and entertained.

"Oh, you just _know_ it's a ninja porno thing." He smiled, seeming to enjoy he idea of it.

Robin rolled her eyes, wishing that she could be surprised by this. "Barney, for the last time, I don't do ninja porn. It's not a thing and certainly not something to waste hours upon hours searching for because you're convinced you'll find some secret, embarrassing footage of me."

"Oh, sure I won't." He replied sarcastically, "Robin Sparkles."

She shook her head, biting her lip, "You're such an idiot." She had wanted to protest after his Sparkles comment, but couldn't help herself.

"You've been reminding me of that a lot, lately." He observed, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Because it's true," Robin grinned, adjusting his tie, "I just love you so damn much."

They parted ways after another kiss. Robin closed the door behind her, taking a deep, heavy breath. _Come on Scherbatksy, _she thought. She was never one to have much trouble choosing her career over a man, but this was different, even though, as she had been reminding herself over and over, it was only temporary.


	2. Chapter 2

As much as Robin loved being back at S.H.I.E.L.D., it seemed impossible for her to get him off her mind. But she forced herself to keep it together, she was Robin Scherbatsky after all. She had to. Her career was everything, and somehow, this particular mission was so much more. She was not about to lose her focus.

Although she was welcome to sleep at the headquarters, she had booked a hotel room a few blocks away. She needed to get away from work. She tossed a suitcase on the perfectly-made bed, and went directly for the phone, punching in his number.

"Robin." She could almost hear his smile through the phone. "How was your day?"

"Insane, lot's happening… but I don't want to think about it right now. How was yours?" She replied, relieved to hear his voice.

The two of them had been doing this on a daily basis. She would rush back to her hotel room and call him, or he would call her, and they would talk. A large part of the reason she even got a hotel room was so she could stay in touch with him. Nick Fury refused to trust even her, so all her work calls were traced. If he found out she was conversing with Dr. Horrible, she would be fired in less than an instant.

"To be honest, it was pretty boring. These North Koreans really won't get off my case… they've been riding me pretty hard lately." He mentally self-fived his own, way too obvious, dirty joke.

She gave a little laugh and admitted, "Work's been stressful for me too."

"Are you okay?" he felt the need to ask.

"Yeah, I just really miss you. That's all." Robin knew that it would all be worth it in the end, but in the meantime, she couldn't bear it. A day without him was just no good.

"I miss you too. You have no idea how many times I've raised my hand up for a high five and realized you weren't there to high five me back. I've been going a little crazy without you."

"Not to mention sex." She added jokingly, although it was driving her just as insane.

"God, Scherbatsky, you have no idea."

"So, um, what did you tell everyone? About us, I mean." She asked after a moment. Surely the gang would've had too many questions if he had shared the real story with them.

"I made up some ridiculous story about us breaking up over the strain of travel or something. I'm actually surprised they bought it so easily. " He chuckled.

Although she knew it was partially her husband's terrifyingly impressive lying skills, she couldn't believe quite how gullible their friends were. She shook her head, "They'll believe anything." Robin then asked how they had been doing. "It's been a while since I've seen them." She added.

"They're great!" Barney began excitedly, "In fact Lily-" he stopped himself, wanting to tell her face-to-face "never mind I'll fill you in on everything when you're back in town, okay?"

"Okay." Robin said inquisitively, wondering what could be going on with Lily, but deciding to shrug it off. The last thing she needed was more on her mind.

"So, do I get any hints on this top secret job you're doing? I mean, as your ex-husband, I think I should get to know." Barney asked hopefully. He had been wanting to know since she had told him about it, but didn't want to seem pushy. If it was something she had wanted him to know, she would've told him. And yet, the idea of her not wanting him to know something made him all the more curious.

"I promise I'll explain everything when I'm back. Until then I'm not allowed to say anything," She said, pausing, "especially to you."

He tried to push it from his head, which was spinning with questions that even he couldn't imagine the answers to. "Me? Why me?" Barney asked, confused. He had no idea how he his knowing could have anything to do with the situation. There was a part of him that was suspicious, wanting to track her down and get to the bottom of this. He knew that he could, but he also knew he needed to respect her privacy. He trusted her.

"You're a former criminal, remember?" She was surprised she really had to remind him.

"What do you mean 'former'?" He joked, knowing exactly what she meant, but being unwilling to acknowledge those days he spent as Dr. Horrible. He didn't want to look back on those memories.

Barney and Robin talked for another hour or so, before finally settling in for their night's alone. Both of them hated the new nightly routine. Although Robin had spent much of her adult life sleeping alone, she had grown to forget what it felt like. The hotel bed was by far one of the comfiest she'd ever slept in, and yet she felt cold.

Barney missed having Robin beside him every night just as much as she missed him. He hated how uneven it felt, with her side of the bed being empty. He had become so accustomed to her being there, to being able to roll onto his side and wrap his arm around her, to the sweet scent of her hair spilling onto his pillow.

The days until Barney and Robin were reunited seemed to drag on longer than either of them could ever have imagined. And then, by what seemed like an act of God, Robin was given a weekend off. Without hesitation, she returned to New York, running to the nearest airport at the first chance she got.

In her hurry, she didn't find a chance to call him and share the news, so she decided that this would be a surprise. She changed into the lingerie that she had been saving for this very occasion, packed tightly into the bottom of her suitcase, throwing nothing more than a coat on over top.

She refused to waste a single moment when she arrived home. She knocked on the door, more excited to see him than she had been for anything in ages. This was to be their first night together since she left. It was the longest dry-spell of their entire relationship, even though, at this point in time, they were legally divorced.

The door swung open. Barney's eyes widened and his smile grew upon seeing her.

"Hey." She grinned, relieved to finally be home.

"Hey." Barney replied before throwing his arms around her and kissing her, passionately and warmly as always. He had missed the way her lips tasted against his, the intensity of being with her. Their mouths refused to separate as they moved into the apartment, the door closing behind them. Her legs wrapped around his waist as they moved to the bedroom. As they neared the bed, he pushed the coat over her shoulders to reveal her lacy red undergarments.

Barney tossed her down onto the bed, and for a moment, only stared. It had been so long since he had seen her, and somehow, she managed to look more beautiful now than she did in his fantasies. He took in the moment, the one he had been losing his mind in anticipation for.

Robin smiled up at him, seductively. She hated that he had spent what felt like the longest moment since she arrived simply gazing at her. Her body was begging her to stand and grab his tied and pull him onto the bed with her, and yet she couldn't bring herself to. She loved the way he was looking at her. And still, she needed more than that look.

He tossed off his suit jacket, unable to resist her a second longer, landing on top of her, their lips meeting immediately. His hands explored every inch of his body as she quickly unbuttoned his shirt and carelessly tossed it to the floor.

They finished undressing each other another in record time. He pressed his lips gently to her neck, brushing them across her skin while moving a hand down to her thighs. Robin moaned softly. It had been so long that she thought she might climax from only his touch.

"Come on Barney." She whispered into his ear. He smirked, enjoying the pleading way she tightened her grasp around him.

She ran a hand across his chest, kissing him deeply. She really had missed this. They both had. He finally thrust inside of her, too eager to hold back.

"Robin," He breathed, before repeating himself, much louder. Her hand clasped firmly onto their sheets, tightening into a fist as they both hit climax. The two collapsed into a tangled mess on the bed, savouring the moment before round two begun.


	3. Chapter 3

"Good morning." Robin tiredly opened her eyes and smiled, finally seeing the sight she had yearned for every morning that they were apart.

"Good morning." He replied, moving in closer to her. For a moment, neither of them said anything. They were content just to be in each other's presence, with their arms draped over each other's bodies.

After a moment she remembered, "You still gotta fill me in." She sat up slowly and he followed, leaning against the headboard.

"I thought that's what I spent all last night doing." He gave a signature wink.

She playfully punched him in the arm, harder than intended.

"Right, okay, big news." Barney smiled, rubbing his arm, "Lily is pregnant again."

"Great." She said as enthusiastically as she could manage. "I'm happy for her." Robin tried to ignore the way her heart sank a little. As much as it was never a life she often pictured herself in, it was difficult watching her friends all grow up and have kids, knowing that she never could. What made it worse was the way his face lit up, with this adorable, idiotic little smile, at the thought of Lily having yet another baby. He had been supportive and understanding of her infertility, but she could still see that a part of him still wanted to have kids.

He looked down, suddenly feeling guilty. How could he not have realized this would upset her? "Sorry, I should've known since-"

"No, its fine. I really am happy for them both. They're such great parents. They wanted kids." Robin said, trying her best to be rational. She never wanted kids. Barney never wanted kids. This was okay. "It's great." She added, forcing a smile.

"We would be a mess, wouldn't we?" He gave a small laugh. Robin was right. Parenthood was not something either of them were cut out for.

"We would." She nodded, smiling. "I mean, can you imagine getting interrupted every time we tried to have sex?"

"Oh god." the thought terrified him, "And not to mention having to keep quiet when we did."

They both laughed. "Getting in arguments in the middle of the night over whose turn it is to deal with all the crying."

"Never getting any time alone."

"Begging our friends to babysit when we're tired enough."

"Or horny enough." Barney added.

She laughed, "Of course. And you just know Ted wouldn't even hesitate to help out."

"That guy practically lactates every time the word 'baby' is mentioned."

"He would be a good uncle." She thought out loud. Robin had seen the way Ted had leaped at every chance to help Lily and Marshall with their kids. He was always so good with Marvin and Daisy, and they loved him. After he lost Tracy, those bonds he had to his kids, and to their friends', were strengthened immensely.

Barney nodded, "Although I'd worry about what kinda stuff he'd teach our kid. I don't wanna raise a kid that ends up dressing like a Ted." The thought made him cringe. "I would dress her in little onesie suits."

"Her?" Robin asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I guess I always kind of imagined us with a girl."

"You've thought about this." She realized, feeling a pang of guilt that she knew to be irrational. It wasn't her fault she couldn't have children. She just hated to think of everything he'd given up to be with her.

"Haven't you?" Barney asked.

"I've been trying not to." She said, although the thought had crossed her mind more times than she could stand.

He paused, "Hypothetically speaking, if we could have kids, would we?" He didn't want to upset her anymore by asking, but there was a part of him that needed to know how she really felt about this. He had never seen kids in his future, but it was different with Robin. He understood that she couldn't have them, and was genuinely okay with that. He loved her more than that possibility. And yet, he needed to know.

"No." She said instinctively, "Well, maybe. I don't know. It's never really been an option so I've never really been able to think about how I felt about it." Robin remembered far too vividly how she had felt sitting on that park bench after she'd found out, all those years ago. It was the first time in her life that she had been able to see herself with kids. Not even just one, but two. In the same way she was never able to see herself in a marriage, she never had been able to see herself as a parent, and yet it was different with him. But that door was closed now. It wasn't an option, so there was no use wishing that it was.

"Maybe it could be." He thought out loud, answering her thoughts.

"How?"

He shrugged, "Surrogacy, adoption, there are ways if we really wanted to- I mean, can you imagine how awesome our kid would be?" A small part of him tugged at the thought, but he forced himself to try and push it from his mind. He was okay with not having kids, and he didn't want to pressure her into anything.

"Our kid would be awesome." Robin agreed, for the first time in ages, allowing herself to imagine. For once she didn't feel sad or anxious or repulsed or scared at the idea. Instead, it made her happy.

Barney looked at her, his eyes widening. _Is she really with me on this? _He couldn't believe that she was, but he wanted to. "I would teach them how to live." He said.

She smiled, "I know you would."

"Imagine seeing them walk for the first time." Barney gave an endearing grin.

"First words." She added.

"First time winning a laser tag tournament."

"Travelling with them, when they're old enough."

Their minds raced with thoughts, images of a family that they could have together. "It'd be perfect, just the three of us, going on all sort of crazy adventures." And with a single look, at each other, at the life they could have together, they just knew.


End file.
